This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-063996 filed Mar. 7, 2001, the content of which is incorporated hereinto by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a contact terminal for electrically connecting a connection terminal of a flexible flat cable with an electrode of a card, and to a card connector provided with the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various functions have been extended in electronic equipments such as a cellular phone, a telephone, PDA or a camera by mounting, via a card connector, an IC card thereto, such as SIM (subscriber identity module) card, MMC (multi media card) card, SD (secure digital) card, MEMORY STICK (trade mark) or SMART MEDIA (trade mark) in which an integrated circuit for a central processing unit (CPU) or a memory is built-in.
For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application laid-open Nos. 2000-251025 and 2000-251024, a card connector for removably accommodating such an IC card therein is provided with a plurality of contact terminals formed of metallic spring pieces in a connector housing. The card connector electrically connects an integrated circuit within the IC card to an electronic equipment to which is attached the card connector, via the contact of contact points in the plurality of contact terminals with a plurality of contact pads formed on a front or back surface of the loaded IC card within the connector housing.
When connector terminals of a flexible flat cable (FPC) are electrically connected with contact terminals of such a card connector, an FPC connector, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application laid-open No. 11-111402(1999) is provided on a wiring board on which the card connector is mounted. In such an FPC connector, a soldering end of the respective terminal thereof is secured by a reflow soldering to a conductive layer formed on the wiring board. While, one end of a contact terminal of a card connector is secured by a reflow soldering to the conductive layer on the wiring board to complete the electrical connection between the both.
However, when the one end of the respective contact terminal of the card connector is fixed to the conductive layer of the wiring board by reflow-soldering, the one end of the contact terminal of the card connector placed on the wiring board is also heated, which may cause the wiring board to be warped or twisted. Thus, the one end of each contact terminal may be separated from the conductive layer of the wiring board to result in the incomplete connection, whereby there is a fear in that part of the contact terminals of the card connector may not be ensured to be electrically connected to the conductive layer of the wiring board.
In consideration of the above problems, an object of the present invention to provide a contact terminal for electrically connecting electrodes of a card with connection terminals of a flexible flat cable and a card connector having the same, which the contact terminal is capable of ensuring the electric connection of the respective contact terminals of the card connector with the connection terminals of the flat cable without necessitating a wiring board in which a conductive layer is formed.
In accordance with the present invention which attains the above object, there is provided a contact terminal comprising a first connecting section for electrically connecting with a terminal of a cable while pinching the terminal, the first connecting section being formed at one side of the contact terminal, and a second connecting section for electrically connecting with an electrode of a card while being in contact with the electrode, the second connecting section being formed at the other side continuous with the first connecting section.
A coupling section for coupling the first connecting section to the second connecting section may be provided between the first and second connecting sections.
The coupling section may have coupling surfaces orthogonal to each other and coupled to the first and second connecting sections, respectively.
A card connector having contact terminals according to the present invention comprises contact terminals, each having a first connecting section for electrically connecting with a terminal of a cable while pinching the terminal, the first connecting section being formed at one side of the contact terminal and a second connecting section for electrically connecting with an electrode of a card while being in contact with the electrode, the second connecting section being formed at the other side continuous with the first connecting section, a card accommodation portion in which the second connecting sections of the contact terminals are disposed, for accommodating the card having said electrodes for the electric connection with the second connecting sections, and a cable connecting section in which the first connecting sections of the contact terminals are disposed, having an insertion slot for allowing the terminals of a cable to be inserted for the electric connection with the first connecting sections.
In the contact terminal, a coupling section for coupling the first connecting section to the second connecting section may be provided between the first and second connecting sections.
Further, the coupling section of the contact terminal is held while being inserted into a groove formed over the card accommodation portion and the cable connecting section.
The coupling section of the contact terminal may be inserted into the groove in the inserting direction of the card into the card accommodation portion.
The card may be removably accommodated in the card accommodation portion.
A plurality of contact terminals may be provided in correspondence to a plurality of electrodes in the card accommodated in the card accommodation portion.
The card may be an elongate type memory card.
As apparent from the above description, according to a contact terminal and a card connector having the same, since a first connecting section for electrically connecting with a terminal of a cable while pinching the terminal, the first connecting section being formed at one side of the contact terminal, and a second connecting section for electrically connecting with an electrode of a card while being in contact with the electrode, the second connecting section being formed at the other side continuous with the first connecting section are provided, it is possible to ensure the electric connection of the respective contact terminal with a connecting terminal of a flat cable without the necessity of a wiring board having a conductive layer.
The above and other objects, effects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description of embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.